


Watch the Time Go Right Out the Window

by khughes830



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2005-07-25
Updated: 2005-07-25
Packaged: 2019-05-30 09:43:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15094145
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/khughes830/pseuds/khughes830
Summary: Josh and Donna repair their relationship.





	Watch the Time Go Right Out the Window

**Author's Note:**

> A copy of this work was once archived at National Library, a part of the [ West Wing Fanfiction Central](https://fanlore.org/wiki/West_Wing_Fanfiction_Central), a West Wing fanfiction archive. More information about the Open Doors approved archive move can be found in the [announcement post](http://archiveofourown.org/admin_posts/8325).

   


 

**Watch the Time Go Right Out the Window**

**by: Kathleen**

**Character(s):** Josh, Donna, Ensemble  
**Pairing(s):** Josh, Donna  
**Category(s):** Romance  
**Rating:** TEEN  
**Disclaimer:** Not mine, not mine, not mine. Feel free to sue if you like, but it would be a waste of your time since you all have more pocket change than I have in my checking account!  
**Summary:** Josh and Donna repair their relationship.  
**Author's Note:** Follow-up/sequel to Humorous High-Wire Act and When the Wheels Fell Off the Wagon. And yes, I did rip off the title from a Linkin Park song! 

I hand her a beer and sit down and start to think. What has happened to my last two years? 

Wasn't it just yesterday that I had this wonderful woman in my life and in my bed? Wasn't it just yesterday that she was making me laugh and taking care of me? When did it all get away from me? 

I should have followed her that night, the night that Zoey was kidnapped. I should have chased her down and given her the ring right then, but I'm an idiot, so I did none of those things. We barely talked to each other during those four long days. She did her best to avoid me and I buried myself in work. Then, Amy had to come strolling into my office that afternoon and I screwed it all up right and proper. I've never seen such a look of disappointment from Donna in my life. That's probably why she wanted to do more, wanted to try to move on. I did my best to keep her near me, but I knew it was just a matter of time after she worked with Angela during the budget negotiations and then saved all those Social Security checks from not going out. We tried to get back to where we were – we bantered over Christmas presents, I tried to give her more responsibility with the pardon vetting, but that backfired on me. So, I sent her on the CODEL, which backfired on everyone. She lay in that hospital in Germany for 6 weeks and then at her apartment for 6 more weeks. I know she blames me – if I were her, I would blame me. Then, I met Blarney Boy and my heart broke. I tried to ignore her, our situation, everything, but then she left and I left and there was no more – no more situation to ignore since we were no longer the dynamic duo. We snarked each other on the campaign trail, tried our best not to interact unless we had to. It was almost too much for me to handle when we ran into each other in that elevator in Iowa. When I almost knocked on her door that night, I had the ring in my pocket. I wanted to propose, to kiss her and love her, and for both of us to run away from this craziness that had ripped us apart. I knew neither one of us could ever do that, so I didn't knock. Yeah, I still had the ring then. I still have it now. It has been burning a hole in my bag since that night in the Rose Garden and now, the bag sits in my hotel room, just waiting for me to pull my head out of my ass and do something. So, I decided to take this first step. Yeah, we just won, but it really isn't the same when I know how far Donna and I have pulled away from each other. I can't really enjoy this until I've talked with Donnatella and I need to do that now, before she leaves again and I possibly lose her for good. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

We barely looked at each other as we watched TV. The room slowly cleared as the Congressman gave his speech. He had written it himself, but I told him that was the last time he would be able to do that. He wanted Will – he remembered the Inauguration speech and knew that Will would be able to give voice to all that he wanted to say. Matt and Leo knew where I was, so when they left the stage, my phone rang. I knew who it was going to be, so I made my way toward Will. 

I extended my phone toward Will. "Here, this is going to be for you." 

Will looked shocked, but answered the phone anyway. He talked to the Congressman for a few minutes, told him that he would need at least two weeks to finish up things with the Vice-President, but then yes, he would love to join the campaign. I barely paid attention to the things Will was saying to me after he got off the phone. All I wanted was for Donna to look at me, but she was still staring at the TV. Will said something about being invited back to the Congressman's suite for a quick meeting, so that they could get to know each other. Did I want to come? Can't he see I've got other things to take care of first! 

"I'll be along in a little bit." 

And with that, Will was gone and it was just me and Donna. I couldn't stand it anymore. 

"Donna." 

She still stared at the TV and drank her beer. 

"Donnatella, please." 

I guess it was the sound of her name that made her look at me. I wanted to die right then – she looked so sad and lost and heartbroken. She had tears in her eyes and I could tell she was doing her best not to cry. 

I walked over and put my chair in front of her and sat down. She had no choice but to look at me. 

"How you doing?" 

"Well, let's see Joshua. We just lost the nomination, which should have been a shoo-in considering he's the Vice-President and all, I'm jobless cause my contract with Russell for President ended tonight, I don't have any place to go cause my apartment is sublet till November, since I thought we would be campaigning till then, and worst of all, you…" 

She couldn't even finish the sentence because she started crying. I had tears in my eyes as well. We both were upset at all the time we had lost with each other. I didn't know what to do. 

"Donna, please, don't…" 

She looked at me with wide eyes. "Josh, what do you want to do right now?" 

"Something you probably wouldn't support." 

"You seem sure about that." 

"Donna, it's just that… I just thought that…" 

"Joshua, for once in your life, quit thinking about doing something and just do it without thinking!" 

All thought left my head as I stared into those blue eyes. I stood up out of my chair and pushed it back with my foot. I pulled Donna out of her chair and into my arms. I wrapped them as tightly as I could around her and she cried on my shoulder. It brought back all the memories of that night in the Rose Garden, but the difference was, this time, I wasn't going to let her go. She cried into my shoulder and I cried into her hair. I cried because I had lost two years with this woman and because I had forgotten how good it felt to have my arms around her. It could have been hours that we stood there, I have no idea – I lost track of time. Eventually, the tears subsided and we just stood there, wrapped up in each other, rocking each other back and forth. Finally, she started to pull away from me. I didn't even realize it was happening until she broke contact with me. 

"Josh, look, we need to talk and probably yell and scream at each other. A lot has happened…" 

"Donna, that's fine, we'll talk, yell, scream, whatever you want, but you have to come back here." I grabbed her hands and pulled her back to me until we were chest to chest, fingers interlaced with each other, arms hanging at our sides. 

"The last time you pulled away from me, you ran and I just stood there. The last time this happened you left me and I stayed silent and that isn't going to happen again. I just lost two years with the only woman I have ever really loved, two years that I will never see again. Things would have been so different if I had just moved my feet that night in the Rose Garden. But I didn't, so I lost two years, two years of you not being near me, two years of not being able to hold your hand and smell your hair. Two years of not seeing you laugh, I mean really laugh, and it's too much for me. Donna, I just can't lose anymore time with you…" 

Before I knew it, her lips were on mine. She ripped her hands out of mine and wrapped them around my neck. My hands were gripping the back of her blouse, trying to pull her as close as I could. It's like I was forced to go cold turkey from my favorite drug for two years and now that I have it back, I can't get enough! 

As she swipes her tongue along my bottom lip and deepens the kiss, I start moving her backwards till she is between me and the wall. It's like I'm back two years, pressing her between her car and me. This is the greatest feeling I have ever had and I think if it ends, I could quite possibly keel over! She runs her foot up my leg like she did the last time we found ourselves in this position and I pressed into her more. Finally, after what had to be hours, I felt her press against my chest with her hands and I broke the kiss. 

I look at her and she's got a shy smile on her face. I just couldn't resist. 

"Donna, you kissed me." 

She smiled just a little bit bigger. "That I did." 

"Donna, you were kissing me." 

"Yeah." 

"Then you quit kissing me." 

"Yeah." 

"Why in the world did you quit doing that?" And then, I got what I was looking for – a true Donna Moss laugh. Her smile was huge, her eyes were bright with happiness and her laughter filled the room. Her laughing made me start laughing and she pulled me in for a hug. We just stood there laughing and holding onto each other. Finally, she pushed against me again and I pulled back so that she could remove herself from the wall. She started pacing around the room while I stood there, watching her. 

"Donna, what are you thinking?" 

She looks back at me. "That that doesn't fix anything, that we still need to talk about a lot of things." 

"I couldn't agree more. You want to get out of here?" 

She shook her head in agreement and we walked hand in hand out of the convention center. 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ 

We walked and talked till the sun came up. Neither one of us had anything to do that day after the Convention – Donna was unemployed and the Congressman insisted on taking at least two days to go home before the all out campaign had to start. It hadn't even occurred to me that I didn't have a plane ticket back to DC because all that really mattered was that Donna and I were talking again. 

We talked and we yelled and we cried just a little bit more. She told me just how hurt she had been about Amy and how frustrated she got when I started giving Ryan Pierce the opportunities she should have gotten. She told me that I was the only person she wanted to see in Germany and I told her how my heart broke when I met Colin. I told her about the roses I never got to give her and what they meant then. She told me about all the nights she cried herself to sleep after leaving me like she did and I told her how I had to leave the West Wing since there was nothing there for me anymore. She yelled at me for every time I called her from Amy's bed and I yelled at her for letting Jack Reese take advantage of her before he left DC. She asked me if I read her diary and I told her no, then she told me everything that had been written in it about me and us. 

By the time the sun came up, we were standing the lobby of the hotel, emotionally exhausted but not ready to leave each other yet. 

I pointed to the hotel dining room and asked her if she wanted breakfast. We got to the table and she sat down, but I stood frozen, remembering that up in my room, up 8 floors was the ring in my bag and I wanted to go get it. 

She looked concerned when I didn't sit down. 

"Josh." 

I smiled at her. "Donna, I'll be right back." 

"Where in the world are you going?" 

"Up to my room. I'll be back in like three minutes. Order us a pot of coffee and I will be right back." I gave her a light kiss on the cheek to reassure her and she seemed fine. 

I've never run that fast though a hotel before in my life, but I knew I had to hurry. We had gotten through so much over the last 6 hours that I couldn't be away from her for very long. 

Three and a half minutes later, I'm back at the table with the ring in my pocket, out of breath. I manage to order eggs, bacon, and French toast while trying to catch my breath. I about fall out of my chair when Donna pours me a cup of coffee and makes it exactly how I like it. 

"Donna, you feeling alright?" 

She smiled. "I figured, this once, I could make an exception." 

We eat breakfast and talk more about what is going to happen in the next few months. Donna catches me up on all the White House gossip that she had gotten from Margaret – the most notable being that the President caught Charlie coming out of Zoey's room one night. That one had me in stiches! I told her about the first time the Congressman flew us and how everyone was just a little bit scared when we took off. She laughed and asked if it was really everyone or if it was just me. I chose not to answer that question. 

We finished up breakfast and I paid the bill. Something's will never change – Donna will always expect me to buy her food no matter how old we get. That is something I am very much looking forward to. 

We walk toward the elevators when she finally asks – "what did you need to get from your room?" 

I sigh and lead her toward the atrium. I sit her down on the ledge of one of the planters and sit next to her. 

"I have something for you. Actually, I've had it for a very long time and I thought I had the perfect moment to give it to you but then everything got screwed up and…" 

"What is it Josh?" 

I pulled the box out of my pocket and hand it to her. I finally look at her. Her eyes are wide and she has a look of utter shock on her face as she just stares at the box. 

"Go ahead, Donna, open it." 

She pries open the box and gasps at the ring inside. 

"Josh…" 

"Look, Donna, I've had this ring for two years. I had planned on proposing the weekend of Zoey's graduation. Remember, we had planned to lounge around the townhouse all weekend. You were going to cook a real meal and we were going to watch stupid movies and lay in bed for as long as we wanted. I was going to propose that weekend. Then, everything happened and time, well, it kind of got away from me. So, here I sit, two years later, with this ring burning a hole in my bag, wondering if I was ever going to be able to give it to you." 

"Josh… oh my… Josh." She's got tears in her eyes and a slight smile on her face. I move and kneel down in front of her. 

"Donna, a lot has changed between us. We can't ignore that. Granted, we talked about a lot of thing last night and I feel we are on the right track. This ring is yours and for now, it can mean whatever you want it to mean. Wear it, don't wear it, wear on whatever finger you choose. I wanted you to have it, but there is no pressure. I'll wait till you are ready, till we are both ready." 

She smiled at me. "So, I can wear this however I want then?" 

"Yeah, however you feel the most comfortable." 

With that, she slips it on her left ring finger. "There's no rush Joshua, but this is how I want things to be, this is where I want to wear this ring, how you meant for it to be worn." 

I can't even speak anymore. I stand up and pull her into me. We hug and she cries and I don't think I've ever felt so happy in my entire life. Yeah, we've got a lot more things to work through, but in this moment, I've got my Donnatella back in my arms and it is the most perfect moment I've ever had. 

"Josh" she whispers in my ear. 

"Yeah Donna." 

"Can we get out of the lobby now?" 

"Where do you want to go?" 

"Your room or mine." 

I just laugh and kiss her lightly on the neck. "You lead and I'll follow, Donna, just like it's always been." 

She drags me to the elevator and before I know it, we are in my room, kissing and undressing each other, making sure no more time goes out the proverbial window. 


End file.
